Page 43 of Finding Fate

“Hey, talk to me,” he says, forcing me to turn around, likely picking up on my sudden mood change. I’ve always been see-through with him. “You told me once the only way I was getting you down an aisle was in a church in Greece.”

I shrug my shoulders. “No one would come, so what’s the point? I’m a volunteer orphan. You’re who I chose, not who they chose. We’re in this alone.”

“My parents would come. My extended family. Our friends. You can still have a wedding.”

I choke up, loving him more because he will always find a fix, but this isn’t fixable. “A wedding is supposed to be a happy day where two families come together. That would be miserable for me. Walking down an aisle while all of your family stares at me, knowing what happened and hating me. Your parents don’t want us to get married any more than my dad. I know you hate him, but he’s still my dad. I love him. I have parts of him. We have more good memories than bad. We’re all each other has ever had. Me getting married is something I always knew he’d be there for. If I can’t have it all I don’t want any of it.”

He blinks at me, his dark blond lashes touching against each other over and over. “You think my parents hate you?”

“Why else would they tell you to stay away from me?”

“Because your dad controls a large part of our town. He has a lot of pull. They’re self-employed, where a lot of their business comes down to their reputation and winning bids for jobs. They didn’t want me to piss your dad off again and end up in jail or them bankrupt because he blocked them from getting jobs. They’re also respected in our church for how they live, and they were just as disappointed in me for screwing someone’s fourteen-year-old daughter at eighteen as your dad was pissed. My mom lost it when she found out we first had sex when you were thirteen. Most school aged kids date within a two-year age gap, max three for the older ones. She didn’t speak to me for days. She was on your side, not mine. I was older. I was a boy. In everyone’s mind I took advantage of you at a vulnerable age, but they also didn’t want to see their son in trouble either.”

“I’ve told everyone I initiated that part of our relationship, my dad included. It was consensual.”

“It doesn’t matter, Gabby. I knew better. I may not have known at first, but in their mind the respectful thing to do would have been to cut it off when I found out how old you were. My mom thought I was lying when I told her how long we’d been seeing each other before I found out. She couldn’t understand how two people could date for an extended period without talking about something as simple as age. No one will ever understand the dynamics of our relationship. I gave up trying. I tried to break it off when it came out, even though I was kidding myself. You were barely in my truck and had, ‘I love you, don’t do this’, out of your mouth before climbing on top of me with tears in your eyes. I took it all back and we were having sex less than five minutes later. The part that no one understands is that I couldn’t. It wasn’t that simple. I was already in love with you, and it wasn’t that shallow high school puppy love. It was the real, addictive, obsessed, jealous kind of love. The damage was done. You were mine then. You are mine now. You will be mine when I’m fucking sixty. They won for a while. We are adults now. Everyone can get over it. I don’t care when or where we get married or who’s there. The part that matters to me is you. We can do whatever you want.”

“Thank you,” I tell him, already encircling my arms around his neck to pull him in for a hug. His bulky, muscular body feels so good wrapped around mine. I’ve spent so many nights wondering where he was, or what he was doing, wishing I knew what he looked like now that he’s grown up. He’s always been the hottest guy I’ve ever met, but his memory didn’t do him justice. Nothing could have prepared me for how handsome he’s become. Age on him has made him a heartthrob. It’s hard not to get emotional that he’s right here in front of me after all this time.

It’s impossible not to be thankful that he still wants me as much as I want him. My mind continues to remind me that had I told Konnor no, like I was going to do when he asked me to come watch them play, I would have missed my chance. I tighten my hold. “I’m so glad I came that day. For the world to be so big, sometimes it seems so small.”

“Me too, and to think, Konnor is the one that set it all in motion; every single bit of it. It’s a little scary to know he’s responsible for all of us being together and in a good place. It makes him invaluable.”

“I know.” I pull back and kiss him, my heart beating wildly. The second our lips create a dance of pulling, skimming, and exchanging tongue thrusts, so many endorphins flood my system, and even though he hardens between my legs, he doesn’t make a move, because making out is something we’ve always liked to do just as much as sex. Sometimes you just need that emotionally intimate connection with someone you love; feeling wanted and loved without sex being the immediate focus.

Feet stepped into the water based on the sound. “Save some for the honeymoon,” Konnor says. Dork. Maddox smiles against my mouth, and we linger for a few more seconds, before pulling away and opening our eyes. I look beside us at Konnor now sitting a few feet away, Presley’s thighs draped over his shoulders so that her legs are submerged in the water in front of him.

Riggan and Sayler are on the other side of us. He’s sitting on the edge of the jacuzzi with his legs in the water and his feet propped on the bench, his thighs working as her underarm support while Sayler is squatted between them, leaned back on her elbows, everything from the belly up on top of the water. “This is slightly awkward.” I grab my beer and turn around, but Maddox pulls me back on his lap instead of spreading his legs and wraps his arms around my waist.

“Everything is awkward here until it isn’t. At some point you’ll stop giving a shit about who sees what how often.” I bring the bottle to my lips to try to smother the smile as I look at Riggan. Pretty sure I’ve never really given a shit, considering the first day here I was walking around in a towel, but hey, it’s fun to pretend.

I swallow my beer as he brings his to his lips. Now is the perfect opportunity to ask what I’ve been thinking lately. “How much would you charge me for a tattoo?”

His lips spread wide. “Maddox is going to let you tattoo that perfect little ink free body? That would require a man touching it.”

“Shut the hell up, asshole. You have no room to talk. I have tattoos. She can do what the hell she wants with her body except give it away, but I’m not going to lie either. I don’t want random-ass guys touching all over her. If she’s going to get one, I’d rather it be you that does it. The only three dicks I trust are the three at this house.”

He laughs. “I’m just giving you shit. I’ll do it.”

“I have one already—Maddox’s name. It’s just behind my ear. You can’t see it unless I show you.”

He’s shaking his head, a slight smile still there. “You two are just alike. It’s insane.” I’m assuming he’s referring to my name on Maddox’s wrist, which, honestly, is pretty weird. Usually in this situation, the couple got each other’s names together, not when they were broken up. He looks at me. “What do you want and where?”

I hesitate for a second, unsure if I want to discuss it so openly, but really, he’s not a secret with any of them. “My son’s name and birthdate incorporated in some type of design. I don’t know what that design is yet. I know you can’t give me an exact price until I figure it out, but an estimate would work.”

He’s no longer smiling. “I’m not going to charge you, Gabby. Just bring me something to eat when you come, and we’ll call it even.”

“That’s not necessary. I want to pay you for the work just like a normal customer.”

“If I don’t charge Konnor, I’m not charging you, and dipshit over there likes using me as an ink pen that never runs dry. That’s the way it works. I’d tattoo Maddox more, but he’s slower to add than the ink junkie you call your friend.”

“Hey,” Konnor says, splashing water his way. “Your ‘tattoo twin’ is grateful for every piece. I pay you with shit that matters, like favors. Don’t be a dick. If you don’t want to be in high demand, maybe you shouldn’t do awesome tattoos.”

Riggan rolls his eyes, but a grin follows behind. “I’ll do it after Veteran’s Day. We’re swamped right now. I’ll look at my schedule tomorrow and let you know a day and time. Figure out what all you want beforehand.”

“Okay, thank you.” Excitement bubbles in my belly as everyone settles into comfortable conversation, enjoying the cool breeze kissing our skin that came to visit tonight. I never would have foreseen this becoming my life when I met Konnor. What started as a mutual agreement turned to friendship, which led me right back to the one I’ve been yearning for. I’m making new friends, I’m starting a new life, and I’m marrying the love of my life. For the first time since I was fourteen, I’m starting to feel at peace, and I must say, it feels damn good.

Maddox places his lips to my ear. “I want to get the matching tattoo, even if we have to get them at separate times. I know I haven’t really said much on the subject, but you’ll never know how much it means to me that you gave him part of my name. You’ll never be able to top that in my eyes.”

---